One Day From Tuesday

A Tiny Story

Looking at the scene before her, Reisha felt as if she had been transported to an alternate universe. Just two hours earlier, the dignitaries in the room had been carefully dressed in perfectly tailored tuxedos and the latest evening gowns from Trinidad and St. Maarten dripping with jewels as they dined and shared pleasantries.

Now, the tables in the Antigua Grand Ballroom looked bare as everyone but Reisha seemed to be on the dance floor. Bow ties had been undone, high heels flung off and the dripping jewels were now matched by drooping hairdos as the executives and major shareholders of the Caribbean Business Group (CBG) surrendered to the music.

Reisha stood near the bar wishing she was bold enough to take her flirty red cocktail dress out on the floor without a partner. Tonight, was all about couples and she almost regretted not borrowing a date for the evening. She shifted uncomfortably in her five inch heels, which accentuated her long legs but, made her calves ache now that she had been on her feet for so many hours. She longed to kick them off.

Reisha turned her focus back to the dance floor, and tried not to laugh when she spotted the host moving his hips in a poor attempt at the dollar whine with his wife. She spotted one of the region's top surgeons hamming it up with his wife, the first female prime minister of St. Kitts & Nevis. She waved as the host caught her eye. He had spared no expense on the entertainment, food, drinks and security to make sure the guests had a great time.

As one of the largest publicly traded companies, CBG had the who's who of the Caribbean owning shares and most of them seemed to have found their way to Antigua to celebrate. The soca artist who had worked them into a frenzy before handing off to the deejay, was now wrapped around a lovely young model. There wasn't a dry outfit in the room except for the waiters and Reisha.

Reisha walked closer to the dance floor and used her phone to snap a few pictures of the dignitaries letting their hair down.

"These might be persuasive when I am looking for victims, sorry, volunteers for next month's Children's Charity Fun Day," she thought mischievously.

The fun day was her annual fundraiser to benefit children's homes around the region and she was always looking for new faces to collaborate with to bring attention to the charities.

"A little motivation couldn't hurt," she thought smiling.

"Don't you ever leave that thing at home?"

Reisha jumped, recognizing the voice of the man who had come up next to her while she was snapping away.

"The day I see you without yours is the day I leave mine at home too," she replied turning to face him.

"Guilty," he responded holding up his phone.

Jason Barnes, the son of the chairman and the one person she kept telling herself she hoped to avoid, looked his usual dashing self despite being disheveled from his evening on the dance floor. The tie from his tuxedo was missing and the first two buttons of the crisp white shirt were undone. The black jacket only served to outline his broad shoulders which sat on his six-foot frame. Her heels had brought her almost to eye level with him and he wasn't bothered one bit. In fact, he took his time to admire her dress, which showed off her dark chocolate skin. The dress had been a bold color choice considering she spent most of her days in conservative colors but she had wanted to look different tonight and the look in Jason's eye said she had accomplished it.

"You and I have some unfinished business," he said reaching for her phone and her hand.

"That was just a wild promise to lighten a very tense moment," Reisha said trying to pull away.

"I don't remember laughing; and when it comes to making promises I don't joke," he said, placing both phones on a nearby table.

He dropped her hand long enough to take off his jacket and his assistant appeared out of nowhere to take it. Jason handed the phones to the young man as well and turned back to Reisha.